


Until Death

by grumpymark



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath, Multi, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-11
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-20 06:24:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4776923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grumpymark/pseuds/grumpymark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Ivy (OC/Josh's GF) saves Josh, and the others (minus Jessica) live and are saved?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is definitely an AU type thing, to a certain extent. There's no part with Josh getting to the mines or anything. So, yeah. Enjoy!

I had barely escaped it. Whatever it was. But I wasn't concerned about myself at that moment. I needed to find Josh. That was all I cared about. Chris told me he was dead. But he couldn't be. It was impossible. I knew that he said something would happen that night, but I had no idea it would lead to all this. Some of the others were missing, as well. I actually didn't know where any of them were, to be honest. It was such a crazy night, and not in the good way. Monsters, a psycho...it was too much. But I had to find him. 

Just the thought of him being dead was too much for me. There was something about him, how sweet and gentle he was, he was perfection. And I couldn't lose the love of my life. I remember when we first met. We had both been in therapy, at a psychiatric ward. I used to be ashamed to say that I had to stay at one for so long, but it's where I met him, and I no longer felt bad for it. 

~

The first time we saw each other was when I was first brought in. I was filling out papers, and I noticed him from across the room. Sounds cheesy, yes, I know, but it's how it all played out. After I was done filling out everything, I was walked out to the rooms and shown mine. I sat my things down, as I had brought some stuff because I knew I'd be there for a while. After the nurse left me to get settled, I heard a knock at the door. Expecting it to be a nurse, I just said, “Come in.” Well, instead of it being a nurse, it was Josh. He smiled at me, not walking into the room immediately.  
“Hi,” I smiled. He smiled back.  
“Hi...” He said. “I saw you come in, and I just wanted to make sure you're settling in ok?”  
“Oh, thank you! Yeah, I'm fine...first time here,” I sighed. He nodded.  
“Yeah...It's not mine,” He told me. 

It was silent for a moment, and he kept looking down at the floor, staring at his shoes. He smiled, and looked up at me.  
“I can show ya around the place, you know, if you want?” He asked, smirking. I sat a night shirt down and stood up.  
“That sounds great! The nurse told me to come back out to the group meeting room place...” I told him.  
“Oh, well, that does start soon. But, I'm sure they won't mind if I show you around later?” He giggled. I nodded.  
“I'm sure they won't,” I smiled, walking over to him. “I'm Ivy, by the way.”  
“Josh.” 

~

I didn't want to lose him. Not like this. I could hear loud yelling coming from the old shed, and I ran as fast as I could towards it. When I rushed in, there was Chris and Mike, and Josh. Mike was pointing a gun towards Josh, who was tied up to a post.  
“Josh!” I yelled. I ran over to him, but before I could reach him, Mike grabbed me.  
“Ivy. No. He's dangerous,” Mike told me. I pulled myself away from him, and went over to Josh.  
“Why did you tie him up?” I asked, running my fingers through his hair as he laughed maniacally.  
“They're dummies, that's why,” Josh laughed. I kissed him on the cheek.  
“No, Josh. They're not...” I smiled at him. I quickly turned to the two guys standing nearby. “The fuck do you think you're doing?”  
“He's not...he's not stable. Ok?” Chris said.  
“I hate to agree, but it's true. He tried to pull this...this huge prank and it's all gone wrong,” Mike said.  
“But Emily managed to get to the radio tower to get help. They'll be here soon,” Chris smiled.  
“Where are the others?” I asked.  
“At the cabin,” Mike sighed. “Look, go back to the cabin with Chris, and I'll watch this lunatic for the night.”  
“Oooh! Sleepover! C-can we order a pizza?!” Josh smiled.  
“He's not a lunatic! And no! I'm not leaving him,” I told Mike. Chris sighed.  
“Dude, just let her stay with him...” He told Mike, who reluctantly nodded.  
“But I'm staying here, too, OK?” Mike said. I nodded.  
“I don't care. As long as I can stay,” I said. 

~

Every morning he would knock on my door and wake me up. He convinced the nurses that he wouldn't do anything that he shouldn't. They believed him wholeheartedly. He mostly followed their orders. Every time he'd walk in, he'd close the door quietly, walk over to the bed, and kiss me.  
“I think I love you...” He told me one day. It caught me off guard at first, but then I smiled, running my fingers through his hair.  
“I feel the same, Josh...” I told him. He held onto my waist, and kissed me, knocking us over onto the bed. Giggling, we kept kissing, and I felt him running his hands up and down my sides. He stopped and looked at me, smiling.  
“Is this what you want?” He asked seriously.  
“What?” I asked.  
“Me. Is that what you want?” He smirked. I giggled and nodded.  
“Yes!” I kissed his nose as I felt his hands sliding up my shirt. I gasped quietly when I felt him slip his hands under my bra. He began to kiss my neck. God, it was amazing. 

I was undoing his pants when the nurse walked in and stopped us. She sighed, turning away.  
“I knew this was bound to happen eventually,” She had to laugh. “Josh, get out of here.”  
Buttoning his pants up again, he sighed. “I still have my rights to come in here, don't I?”  
“You only have a few more strikes till you don't,” She smiled at him as he walked out. He turned to face me.  
“Love you,” He told me.  
“Love you, too,” I smiled. 

~

“I gotta go,” Mike told me. I looked over at him.  
“What?” I asked. He started to walk out of the shed. “Wait! Where are you going?!”  
“To the cabin! I'll be back. Do NOT untie him!” He yelled, running out.  
“Bye!!” Josh yelled. “You're amazing!”  
I looked over at Josh. “Honey, are you ok?” I asked, checking on him.  
“I am lovely,” He giggled. I smiled, and kissed him on the top of the head.  
“I'm glad...” I told him. 

~

Somehow, we managed to fall asleep. But we woke up when there was a loud explosion.  
“What was that?!” Josh yelled, scared.  
“Shh...We'll go check it out, ok? I'm not gonna leave you by yourself,” I told him, untying him. He held my hand and we ran towards the cabin. Large flames erupted from the building, and there was a helicopter flying overhead. We heard yelling and coughing close-by, so we ran in that direction.  
“Sam!” I said as we ran over to our friends. All but Jessica was there, but we already knew she wouldn't be.  
“What's he doing with you?!” Sam asked, coughing. I sighed.  
“He just needs help...” I said to her. “Look, there's a helicopter. They came to save us!”  
Mike ran over to us. “Holy shit, you guys made it!” He smiled at us.  
“We better get to the helicopter!” I yelled, pulling Josh along. 

The rescuers pulled us all into the helicopter. They ordered for the pilot to take us to the nearest hospital, and we lifted off the ground. I had never been in a helicopter, especially in this kind of situation. My head was hurting, but none of my wounds hurt at this point. One of the rescuers was checking on Josh, who was still holding onto my hand. He was wobbly, and staring off into the distance. He needed help, and fast, but they couldn't help him that way on the helicopter.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets to the hospital. (Mostly about Ivy here)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kind of short I think. And not much happens, except for at the end. I hope you guys like it!

He didn't knock on my door that morning. Instead, the nurse did. I turned over, expecting to see Josh standing there, but it wasn't. She had a depressed sort of look on her face. She could barely look at me.   
“W-what?” I asked, sitting up slowly. “What's the matter?”   
She sighed. “Get up and get dressed.”   
“Why? What the hell happened?” I asked, louder this time. She shook her head.  
“Josh had a bad night. He's with his doctor right now, but he's requesting you,” She told me. I nodded and looked around.   
“I'll be out in a minute,” I told her quietly. 

As we walked through the halls that led to the two doctors' offices, I felt an uneasiness in my stomach. I had never seen Josh on one of his really bad days. Sure, I had seen him depressed and upset, but he had seen me that way, as well. I was almost scared to see him. But I shook off that feeling as we walked closer to the door. 

The little gold plaque on the door said, “Dr. Hill”. I thought that guy was a creep, to be completely honest. That's why he wasn't my doctor. I didn't trust him. Not at all. Luckily, he was usually at his office at a counseling center, rather than here at the hospital. He was usually only here if it was an emergency, or close to it, so Josh must've really been having problems. 

I could hear talking in the office as the nurse opened the door for me. Inside, I saw Dr. Hill sitting across from Josh, who was sitting there, curled up. I walked in silently.  
“Ah! Ivy! We're glad you're here. Josh has been asking for you,” Dr. Hill told me. I nodded, going to Josh and kneeling down beside him. He looked at me, tears staining his cheeks, and he managed to give a small smile.   
“Hey...” I said to him. “What's going on?”   
“I want out,” He told me.   
“Out?” I asked. Dr. Hill sighed.   
“Out of the hospital. He says he's fine, but...” He stopped for a moment. “He's not willing to take his medication right now.”  
I turned to Josh. Standing up, I hugged him tightly. “You need to take your meds, hun...”   
“No. I'm fine,” He told me.   
I pulled him away slightly and looked into his eyes. “Josh, please.”  
“NO!” He yelled, slamming his fists on his legs. “No...”  
Keeping calm, I asked, “Please. Do it for me?” He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, nodding.   
“Ok...yeah...” He said quietly.  
“You'll take them?” I asked. He only nodded. 

~

As soon as we were let into the ER, everyone was split up and sent to different rooms. I watched as they rolled Josh away, just over to the room right next to me. I felt as though I was abandoning him. He needed a hand to hold as they made sure he was ok. The nurse taking my blood pressure patted my shoulder.   
“He'll be ok,” She said to me, obviously able to tell how worried I was. I nodded.   
“I know...Do you know when I'll get to see him?” I asked her, wincing a bit at how the pressure began to build around my arm.   
“Soon, hopefully,” She smiled.   
“He stopped taking his meds. He really needs them...” I told her. She nodded, and took the cuff off my arm.  
“We'll get him to the psychiatric ward. It'll be fine,” She told me calmly. I could only sit there, waiting to hear about him. 

I could overhear two doctors talking in the ER a few feet from my door.   
“Well, he's pretty unstable as of now,” The first said.  
Clearing her throat, the other doctor sighed. “Give me an estimate on how long it'll take to get his wounds cleaned up. I need to get him to a room.”   
“Soon,” The first said. I sighed, knowing they were talking about Josh. I stood up and stretched. It hurt my arms and neck, but I needed to get it out. Looking out the door carefully, I saw the two doctors walking towards the back of the ER, probably to check on one of the others. I decided that I could probably sneak over to Josh's room and visit him for a minute. 

I slid the door open and quietly began to make my way to his room, which was just a few feet away from mine. My legs were cramping, but I took it one small step at a time.  
“Ivy?” I heard a familiar voice behind me. Turning around, I was faced with my parents. My mom ran over to me and carefully hugged me. “Ivy! Are you OK?”   
“Yeah, I'm fine...” I told her.   
“Where are the others?” My dad asked.   
“They're all here...well...” I stopped, my heart beginning to race. It had just hit me, through all of this, that Jess wasn't with us. She didn't make it. I felt myself tearing up.   
“What?” Dad asked.   
“Jess. She didn't make it,” I said quietly. I watched their expressions. They knew that Jess and I had been close. It hadn't even hit me until that moment. We were all concerned about ourselves, and I was so concerned about Josh...I felt terrible.   
“W-what're you doing out here?” Mom asked. “Shouldn't you be in you room?”   
“I-I was going to check on Josh,” I told her.   
“How's he?” Dad asked. I shook my head, not really giving an answer. “He's not going to die, is he?”   
“No. I don't think his injuries are that bad. He just, stopped taking his meds...” I told him.   
I watched Mom roll her eyes. “Of course he did. Doesn't he always?” She said.  
“Listen, you don't have to be here! Ok? You can just go!” I told her angrily. She never trusted Josh, because of his mental illness. But what she never took into consideration was that I was mentally ill as well, and she never thought it hurt me when she said those things.   
“I didn't mean anything by it,” She said, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes.  
“I'm going to visit Josh now, ok?” I said, annoyed, turning around and peeking into his room. 

Josh lay there, sleeping. He seemed calm finally. Maybe it wasn't the best time to see him, but I walked in anyway, going over to his side. I held his hand, running my thumb over his skin. He didn't move, as he was in a deep sleep. I didn't want to bother him, so I kissed his forehead, and began to walk out.   
“...Hey,” I heard him say softly as I was almost out of the room. I stopped and turned to face him. He smiled at me. “Will you marry me?” He whispered. 

It caught me off guard, hearing that. I walked back over to the side of his bed.   
“What?” I asked. He giggled.   
“Marry me,” He said to me. I wasn't even thinking at that point. The man that I loved with all my heart had just asked me to marry him. I knew that he was in a bad state of mind, but at the same time, I knew that deep down, there was still my Josh. The sweet guy, with a great sense of humor, and the best kisses. He was genuine with this question. I knew that a lot of what he was saying was nonsense, but he still had an understanding of what had been happening around us.   
With a bit of hesitation, I said, “Of course. As soon as we're both healthy again, I promise, we'll get married.”  
He wiggled around happily. “Yay...” He whispered before falling back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Just smut. (For the most part)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like the summary says. Smut. 
> 
> I'm not used to writing smut, btw, so, sorry if this isn't that good.

“I don't care! The guy's crazy! He tried to kill us!” I heard Mike yelling to Matt as I was wheeled out of the hospital by a nurse. It was hospital regulation to be wheeled out, even though I didn't like it. I got up out of the chair and said bye to the nurse, and thanked her for her help.   
“Dude, don't say that. He just needs help,” Matt said.   
“No way! The guy deserved to go just like Jess!” Mike told him. I stormed over to the two.   
“Hi! Mike! How the FUCK are you? You mind talking to me for a second?” I said, probably a bit too loud.   
“Uh...sure...” He said, knowing that I had heard him. Looking over at Matt, Mike motioned that he'd be right back. I grabbed Mike's arm, and practically dragged him over to the side of the building.   
“What the HELL, Mike?! Josh is your friend!” I told him.  
“Was,” He sighed.   
“Was?” I asked. “Look, you've done dick things in you day, too-”  
“Dick moves? Ivy, this shit is not just a bunch of dick moves! He tried to kill us!” Mike said.  
“No! He didn't! He wasn't trying to kill us! The fuckin' wendigo things were! You know this!” I yelled.   
“He killed Jess,” He sighed.   
“The wendigo killed her,” I told him. “I know, Mike. We miss her. We'll all miss her. It will never be the same, but we have to keep going. We can't give up on Josh because of this.”  
“That's easy for you to say! You've got your head so far up that bastard's ass-”   
I interrupted him with a loud smack.   
“STOP talking about him that way, Mike! He didn't MEAN to hurt anyone. He was just trying to prank you guys, and it went terribly wrong. He's sorry,” I told him.  
“How do you know he's sorry?!” He asked loudly.   
“Because I know that if he were taking his meds, he'd be apologizing right now,” I said, walking away. 

~

“You'll be ok, right?” My mom asked me. I nodded.  
“Yes, I'll be fine.” I told her. I had been out of the psychiatric ward for a few months at that point. Josh had still been in, but was getting out that afternoon. We had still been in contact the entire time. I would visit as often as possible.   
“Leave her alone, Jane. She'll be fine,” Dad said to her.   
“Well, your meds are in the cabinet above the sink! There's grocery money in the kitchen...we'll be back on Tuesday!” She smiled as she and dad walked out the door. As soon as their car pulled out of the driveway and drove off, I picked up my cell and called Josh. No answer. I knew that he had gotten his phone back, since he was getting out soon. I couldn't figure out why he wouldn't get to it. He must've been thrilled to have it back. I know how happy I was when I got mine back. 

As I tried to call him back one more time, there was a knock at the door. I quickly ran over to the door, and opened it.   
“Josh!” I said happily. “What're you doing here?!”   
“I came by to see my girl,” He smirked. “I missed you. You didn't come visit yesterday.”   
“I know! I had to go see my grandparents...” I told him. He smiled, putting his arms around my waist.   
“It's alright...We're together now, right?”   
“Yeah...” I said, kissing him slowly. I felt his tongue tracing over my lips as he gently guided me into the house. Shutting the door behind him, never losing contact with me, he picked me up and attempted to carry me to the couch. On the way there, though, he slammed my arm into the doorway, and I let out an “Ow!”   
“Shit! You ok?!” He asked, laughing, still holding me. I nodded.  
“Yeah, I'm fine...” I giggled. He nodded, taking me over to the couch. He began to kiss me more, getting more and more passionate as time passed. He eventually pinned me down onto the couch, kissing his way down my neck before slowly taking my shirt off. He continued to kiss me, now my collarbones, and then the top of my chest. He stopped for a moment, and looked up at me.   
“You're ok with this? Right?” He asked, smirking. I laughed.   
“Well do ya see me complaining!” I joked. He laughed silently before taking his own shirt off. I reached up to run my fingertips up and down his torso.   
Moaning, he practically growled to me, “What do you want, baby?”   
“You...” I told him. He nodded.   
“That's what I thought...” He said in a deep voice as he leaned in to kiss me again. I slid my hands down the curve of his back, grabbing onto the belt loops on his jeans. I tried to do something about his jeans, but the way he was angled on top of me made it impossible. He broke the kiss to look at me with a false sense of sadness on his face.   
“Oh...poor Ivy...” He taunted. “Can't get what you want, can ya?”   
“Quit teasing!” I yelled as he sat up, unbuttoning his pants, but not taking them off just yet. He began to undo my pants as well, slowly slipping them down my legs, but leaving my underwear on. He stood up, and took his pants off, leaving his underwear on, as well.   
“Is this what you want?” He asked jokingly.   
“No. I want more,” I said to him. He raised an eyebrow.   
“Oh? More?” He asked, putting his hands on my sides and pulling me up. After a few attempts, he managed to get my bra unhooked, and tossed it to the side before his hands began to run all over my chest. He kissed the top of my breasts, but did nothing else. Soon, he guided my hands to the elastic of his boxers. I wanted to just tear them off him, but he wouldn't let me. I waited for him to make a move, but instead he just sat there.   
“What?” I asked. He smiled.   
“Nothing. It's just, you look so pretty right now. Squirming underneath me, writhing for something more...I think I like this.” He told me.   
I couldn't take all the teasing, and he knew it. Finally, he took off our remaining pieces of clothes, and pushed me down so that I was lying on the couch once again. He hovered over me, a smile on his face. He looked down as my hand traveled down, running my fingertips up and down his length. He shivered, taking my hand away from him and holding it above my head. I moaned, still waiting for him to do something, anything. Letting go of my hands, he guided himself to meet me, and I moaned loudly as he moved inside me. He lowered himself onto me slightly, not putting his whole weight on me. I nodded to show him I was ready for more, and he slowly began to go in and out. He kept going slow, I think to tease me more, but I think he was teasing himself as well. I could tell he wanted to go faster. Maybe he was worried about me.   
“Faster...” I whispered.   
“Hmm? Yeah?” He asked as I felt him starting to speed up. I watched his face, and he watched mine. We were in sync in no time, meeting each others hips, our moans matching up. Soon, I felt a strong pressure building in my core.   
“Oh, god, Josh...” I said loudly. He let out a groan as his response. “I'm about to...”   
He let out another moan, and I could feel myself losing control. I gripped onto his shoulders, and screamed his name. His thrusts stopped being rhythmic, now no longer timed perfectly. He let out one last, deep groan before collapsing on top of me. He kissed my neck softly.   
“Did you get what you wanted…?” He asked tauntingly. I nodded.   
“Why yes I did...” I told him


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy is discharged from the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, so after writing the smut, I was kind of lost as to where to go with this story, but I think I got it! 
> 
> Also, I think this is a fairly long chapter, so be prepared. 
> 
> Enjoy!

As I walked into the house with my parents, my phone buzzed. I took it out of my coat pocket and saw that it was a text from Mike.   
“What does he want?” I groaned to myself, opening the text.   
“Ivy, I'm sorry. I'm just pissed and grieving...” The text read. I sighed.   
“It's fine. Get some rest.” I sent back to him as I walked into the living room. I took my coat off, and tossed it on the edge of the couch. I sat down, remembering all that had happened there on that very spot just over a year ago. It was hard to believe that I had been with Josh for going on two years.   
“Do you need anything, honey?” Dad asked, walking into the room.  
“No...I think I'm ok,” I told him, grabbing the remote and turning the TV on. How was I expected to just sit there and be calm? All my friends were either injured or dead, and my boyfriend, well, fiance, was in the hospital for who knows how long. The doctors all told us to see a counselor for a while after all this, and since I already had one, an appointment was scheduled as soon as it could be.   
“If you need anything, just holler, ok?” Dad said to me. I nodded and smiled at him. 

As he walked out of the room, my phone buzzed again. Expecting it to be another text from Mike, I picked it up angrily and opened the message. Instead of it being from Mike, however, it was Chris.  
“Can you see me ASAP?” The text said. I sighed.   
“I just got home. Why?” I asked.   
A minute passed, and then he replied, “I just need to see you. It's about everything that's happened.”  
“Well, I JUST got home like 2 minutes ago.”   
“Then get settled in. I'll head over tomorrow when I get out of here.” He told me.   
“OK dude. See ya then.” I texted back before setting my phone down. 

Just then, Mom walked in. “Who was that?” She asked.   
“Chris,” I told her. She nodded, and walked over to sit next to me.   
“I'm sorry,” She started. “For saying what I did when you were in the hospital. I know I should be grateful that you survived with minor injuries. I shouldn't have talked about Josh that way, either.”   
“No, you shouldn't have,” I said bitterly. I still hadn't forgiven her for that. She constantly had something bad to say about him, and I didn't appreciate it.   
She sighed, looking down at her hands as she picked at her nails. “Look, Ivy...”   
“I don't want to hear it. I'll accept your apology, but I'm still not happy about it,” I told her, standing up and walking towards the steps.   
“Ivy!” She yelled at me, trying to get me to come back. 

As I reached my room, I felt tears building in my eyes, and soon they were streaming down my face. I locked the door behind me, and walked over to my bed. I reached over and picked up the framed photo of myself and Josh. The picture was from last summer. We were lying in the grass, taking pictures with my grandpa's old Polaroid camera. The picture was WAY too small for the frame but I didn't really care. I just liked to look at it. I sighed, setting the frame back down on the side table, and tossed myself down onto the bed. It was nice being in my own bed again, but I hated how I had gotten back to it. I honestly just wanted to go back to the hospital and visit with my friends. I wanted to make sure they were all fine.   
“Maybe I should go see what Chris wanted after all...” I whispered to myself. I stayed there for a moment, staring at the ceiling. I debated with myself for a couple minutes before sitting up and wiping my tears with my sleeves. I stood up and went over to the window. Outside, the snow fell down lightly, covering the ground in feathery layers. I sighed, heading over to the door. I unlocked it and made my way downstairs. 

“What're you doing, Ivy?” I heard Mom ask. I stopped and picked up my coat.   
“I'm going to visit Chris,” I told her.   
“No you're not,” She told me. I stopped and turned to face her.   
“Excuse me?” I asked.   
“You're not going out. It's snowing. You just got back from the hospital yourself! You're not going back so soon!” She said sternly.   
“Uh, well first off, I'm 20. I'm not a child,” I started. “Second, I can go visit my friends if I so choose. We just had the most traumatic experience of our lives and you expect me to not check on them?”   
“That's not what I meant-” She began to say.  
“I don't give a fuck what you were trying to say! Now, I'm going, OK?” I told her. She sighed.   
“Whatever,” She told me as I pushed past her out the door. 

~

I'll never forget when Hannah and Beth went missing. It was one of the worst feelings...Chris, Josh, and I had all been drinking like maniacs and ended up passed out in the kitchen. When we woke up, everyone was in a frenzy, calling the police and trying to holler for the two.   
“What happened?” Josh yelled at them, trying to get them to calm down.   
“Hannah! And Beth...oh god...they just!” Emily was yelling. I had never seen her like this. She was usually so emotionless and apathetic. But now, she was frantic. She was guilty.   
“What? What happened to my sisters?” Josh said loudly.   
“They ran out into the woods. We were just playing a stupid prank on Hannah, and she ran out! And Beth went after her, and...” Jess told him, practically out of breath from being worried.   
“How long have they been gone?” I asked.   
“Like over an hour!” Emily told us. Josh grabbed his phone and looked at it.  
“Dammit. Does anyone have any bars or anything?” He yelled.   
“I already called the police. They're on their way,” Mike told him.   
“Goddammit you assholes! The fuck were you thinking?” Josh said angrily.   
“We were just having fun!” Emily told him.   
“It wasn't fun, Em!” Sam yelled at her.   
“Well maybe not to you...” Emily said sarcastically.   
“It was SO much fun that you helped my sisters get lost in the fuckin woods! Huh? Is that what you'd consider a GOOD TIME?!” Josh screamed.   
“Josh, calm down...” Chris said quietly.   
Josh turned to Chris. “Calm down? How the FUCK do you expect me to calm down?”   
“Honey...please...it's going to be ok. They'll find them,” I told him, putting a hand on his arm. He stiffened up, and looked at me.   
“You weren't in on this, too, were you?” He bellowed at me.   
“I was here! With you! I was passed out!” I told him. He sighed, and looked down.   
“I...sorry. I'm just worried. Look, when did you call the police?” He asked Mike. Mike looked at his phone.   
“Uh...probably a half an hour ago,” He told him. Josh nodded.   
“They'll be here in like, fifteen minutes, then?” Josh said. “Alright guys. Ivy, Chris, and I were hanging out in here, and you guys did whatever the fuck you did, and they ran out THAT way, right?” He asked, pointing to the next room over.   
“Yeah,” They all said.   
“Ok,” Josh said. “Tell the fuckin truth, too, ok?”   
Everyone nodded as we heard police knocking on the door. 

~

Room 390. Chris' room. The door was open, and I peeked inside to see Ashley and Chris sitting there, talking to each other. Ashley was holding Chris' hand and resting her head on his shoulder.   
“Am I interrupting?” I asked with a small laugh as I came in.   
“Hey, Ivy! No, you're not,” Chris told me as I sat down in one of the chairs.   
“How're you, Ivy?” Ashley asked. She was scratched up pretty bad, just like the rest of us. I smiled and nodded.  
“I'm alright, I suppose. Sore,” I told her.  
“Aren't we all?” Chris laughed. We sat there in silence for a moment before Ashley cleared her throat.   
“Well, I'm going to go get a drink from the cafeteria. I'll be right back, ok?” She said, kissing Chris' forehead and then leaving the room.   
I turned to Chris. “So, what did you need?” I asked.   
“Just wanted to say congrats to the bride-to-be!” He laughed.   
“What? How did you find out?” I asked.   
Chris laughed. “Josh was getting wheeled past, and he saw me, and said, 'I'm a fiance now! Woooo!'”   
“Ahh. So he's excited already?” I giggled. He shrugged.   
“Always knew it'd happen,” He said. “So, when's the partay gonna go down?”   
“Oh god. Not for a long time. We ALL have to be healthy again,” I told him.   
“ALL?” He asked.  
“Well! You're all coming to the ceremony, correct?” I laughed. He nodded.   
“Hell yeah! I call best man already! No way am I letting that opportunity pass me by!” He said happily. I nodded.  
“Good! I'm sure Josh'll like that,” I smiled.   
“You sure he was serious?” Chris asked.   
“He's pretty out of it, I know. But I think he was, yeah,” I told him.   
“Well, whenever it happens, it'll be awesome,” Chris said as Ashley walked back in with a bottle of water.   
“So, uh. Do you know if he's settled in yet?” I asked Chris.   
“No, I just saw him going that way. I don't even have a room number,” He said. I sighed.   
“I should probably go check,” I smiled. Chris nodded.   
“See ya at the wedding!” He chuckled, causing Ashley to look concerned.   
“What wedding?” She said loudly as I walked out. 

~

The place was all too familiar, though I'm sure Josh would be under different treatment methods now. He wasn't his usual self, and he wasn't even his usual worst. It would be so different here for him, but I knew he'd get the treatment he needed. 

Walking up to the desk, I recognized the nurse sitting there.   
“Hey! Kara!” I smiled. She looked up at me and grinned.   
“Oh, Ivy! Hello!” She said to me. “Are you here to see Josh? I know he was brought in...”   
“Yes, I'm here to see him...” I told her, looking around. “This place seems a bit empty.”  
“For a change. It's good to see so many of our patients doing so well, though!” She told me. I nodded.  
“That's true!”   
She smiled, and looked at the roster on the desk. “Well, he's in room 510.”   
“My old room!” I laughed. “Well, thank you! I'll see you around.”   
She waved at me, and I made my way to room 510. 

The door was partly closed, and I heard talking coming from inside. One voice was a nurse, and the other one was Josh's. I knocked on the door, and peeked my head in.   
“Fiance!” Josh smiled. “I'm so happy to see you!”   
Josh attempted to get up out of the bed to get over to me, but the nurse stopped him.   
“Oh, right...right right. Don't get up unless I need to. Rest,” He said.   
“Hi sweetie,” I grinned, going over and hugging him gently. I kissed his cheek and sat on the edge of the bed with him.   
“Where have you been?” He asked.   
“I was discharged from the hospital. I got to go home!” I told him.  
Josh looked at the nurse. “I wanna do that. I wanna go home. With her. My fiance.”   
“I'm sorry, Josh. We can't do that just yet,” She smiled. He tossed himself onto the bed and groaned.   
“Fine!” He yelled.   
I looked at the nurse, and she smiled at me. “Would you like to visit on your own? I'll just be outside.”   
I grinned and nodded. “That would be great. Thank you!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashbacks and more sadness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a bit boring, I think, but it's getting the story line going, so, yeah! 
> 
> ALSO Thank you guys for over 500 hits! That's crazy to me! The most any of my other stories have is 300-some! So, thank you!!

“What's going on?” I asked, watching Josh tossing things around the room frantically. He had a desperate look in his eyes.   
“I can't find it!” He yelled. I ran over to him as he went to pick up a lamp to throw out of his way. I took the lamp from his hands and sat it down gently.   
“Honey, what can't you find?” I asked him, running my hand up and down his arm. He sighed.   
“The...I can't find the. The photo album,” He told me. I looked around.   
“The photo album?” I asked. He nodded.  
“Yeah. The one that my parents got for us. The one that we put all our stupid little Polaroids in...” He explained.   
“Oh! That one!” I smiled. I guided him through the mess of the room over to the dining room. “Your parents were going to add some pictures to it, and so I sat it on the table for them.”   
He stood there silently for a moment. He let out a loud sigh before shaking his head. “Well...”   
I smiled at him and kissed his cheek. “You ok?”   
“Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you...” He said, looking into the living room. He shook his head. “My parents are going to be home soon. We should get this cleaned up.”  
“You're right,” I said. “Let's get started on that.” 

I hadn't really seen him have too many panic attacks at that point. And to be completely honest, that wasn't even one of the bad ones. He had managed to calm down relatively fast, and was able to communicate with me. But most of the lighter attacks were before Hannah and Beth went missing. After that, it was a bit more chaotic. I understood why, but it was a lot to take in. 

We managed to get everything cleaned up before Josh's parents got home. Luckily, nothing was broken or harmed, so we got off easy with that one. As his father walked into the room, he stopped and smiled at us. We were sitting on the couch, watching TV, trying to act as calm as possible.   
“Hello, you two,” He said to us.   
“Hey, Mr. Washington!” I smiled.   
“Beth and Hannah are going to hang out with some friends. Why don't you two go out somewhere? You've been locked up in here all day!” Mrs. Washington said as she walked in.   
“Yeah, why not?” I laughed, looking over at Josh.   
“I'll get my keys,” Josh smiled, standing up. 

As we drove up to the house, we could see Ashley and Chris standing outside, talking.   
“Cochise!” Josh yelled at Chris as he parked the car and got out.   
“Hey there!” Chris said to him. Ashley walked over to me as I climbed out of the car.   
“Welp. Guess it's us girls hanging out, now that they're together,” She laughed.   
“I suppose so,” I smiled. “How've you been?”   
“Alright. Swamped with homework, but you know...You're lucky you're not going,” She told me.   
“Yeah, I just...College isn't my thing,” I told her.   
“Josh didn't influence that, did he? What with dropping out and all?” She asked in a concerned voice. I shook my head.  
“Nah. I just never wanted to go,” I told her. “No want or desire.”  
She nodded. “So then, what will you do? I mean, with life?” She laughed a little.  
“Uh, well, I'm still figuring that one out. I mean, I'm 19. We have our whole lives ahead of us, right?” I asked.   
“I suppose you're right. I just worry about my friends,” She told me.   
“I understand. I do, too. I worry about everyone, to be honest,” I giggled. “Probably too much.”  
“Oh god, I know that feeling,” She said with a sigh.   
“Hey, so, you. And Chris?” I asked quietly.   
“Hmm? What about…?” She asked. I laughed and nudged her with my elbow.   
“You know...You two...a thing yet?” I smiled. She rolled her eyes.  
“No. Not yet,” She told me.   
“The fuck you waitin on, girl! Go get it!” I smirked. She smiled and hit my arm.  
“Ugh! I can't!” She laughed.   
“Aww c'mon!” I smiled.   
Josh and Chris walked over to us as I spoke.   
“C'mon what?” Chris asked.   
“Nothing,” Ashley said.   
“Mhm,” Josh said sarcastically. “And are we supposed to believe that?”   
I watched Chris as he looked at Ashley. You could tell he really wanted her, regardless if sexual or not. But it probably was sexual to some extent, as well as other ways. He looked over at Josh, who made a small thrusting motion and laughed.   
“Stop!” Chris whispered to him, laughing.   
“Stop? Me? What on Earth did I do?” Josh smirked.

~

“So, how're you feeling, sweetie?” I asked Josh, who was laying in the hospital bed, staring at me.   
“Good...good good. Yeah. I'm just fine...” He said sarcastically.  
“Hey, now. No need for that,” I smiled. He nodded.   
“No, you're right. I don't need to be rude. Not now,” He smiled. “Later.”   
“Later? Why later?” I asked. He shrugged.   
“I dunno,” He said. I ran my fingers through his hair gently.   
“You know, you look really handsome right now...” I told him. I wasn't lying. He always looked handsome, even though we had gone through so much. He gave a crooked grin, and sat up a bit more.   
“Really?” He asked.   
“Yes,” I smiled.   
He sat up completely and leaned in to kiss me. I wasn't going to let it go too far, but I kissed him back for a moment. He still needed love. As we pulled away from each other, I saw tears in his eyes.  
“What, honey?” I asked him. He shook his head, looking away from me.   
“I'm sorry,” He told me.   
“For what happened?” I asked. He nodded slowly. I held him and kissed the top of his head. “No, honey, it's fine. We know you didn't mean to hurt anyone.”  
“I didn't kill her...” He told me. I nodded.   
“We know. The wendigo thing did,” I told him. He nodded, holding onto me.   
“Don't leave me...” He said to me. “Please. I don't. I don't want you to go.”  
“I won't go,” I told him. “I promise.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remembering before the trip, and Chris visits Josh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for another shorter chapter. I have a lot more in store for this story, so just stick around!

He had lied to me. I had asked him, “Josh, did you take your meds? Are you bringing them with you?”   
“Yes, Ivy. It's all taken care of,” He told me. Looking back on it, I should've checked. That sounds so bad. He's not a child, but I should be more careful about these things. I just want what's best for him. For everyone. 

“Do you have everything packed?” I asked him, wrapping my arms around him from behind, and kissing his shoulder. He laughed softly, nodding.   
“Yeah. I think so. We're only going for the weekend,” He told me. I nodded, resting my head on his shoulder.   
“I know, but I just worry,” I told him, still holding him. He turned to face me quickly.   
“You know what?” He asked. I stood there for a moment, watching his facial expression. He seemed like he was up to something.   
“Hmm?” I asked cautiously.   
He leaned in and kissed me softly, our lips barely touching. He pulled back, biting his lower lip, staring me down. “I think, before we leave, we should...” He said, running his hands down my arms.   
“Oh...” I said in a quiet voice. 

Before I knew it, he had me tossed onto his bed, kissing me with passion. His hands roamed freely over my torso before stopping just under my chest. Resting his hands there, he slowly began to kiss my jawline, then my neck.   
“Mmm...” He moaned softly as his lips met the collar of my shirt. I could feel him up against me. He was fighting himself, trying to keep the slow pace up as long as he could. He knew he wanted to rip our clothes off, but he held himself back. And probably for a good reason, as there was a knock on the door.   
“Josh? Ivy?” It was Mr. Washington.   
“Uh, hold on a second!” Josh said, standing up from his place on top of me, pulling me up with him. Just then, Mr. Washington peeked in.   
“You two aren't doing anything you shouldn't, are you?” He laughed. Josh shook his head.   
“Nope!” He smiled. I stood there quietly, nodding.   
“Well, Ivy, your mom is on the phone downstairs. You should talk to her,” He said. I nodded.   
“I'll be right there,” I smiled, patting Josh on the head. He shook his head slowly, watching me walk out. 

“What do you want, Mom? We're leaving soon,” I said as I got on the phone.  
“I know. I don't think you should go,” She said to me. I stood there for a moment in silence.  
“What?” I asked, not sure what to say.   
“You shouldn't go. Not after what happened last year. It's just got me thinking,” She said to me. I could hear her fidgeting in the background, tapping her fingers on the table.   
“Mom, it's fine. Josh is doing this for a good reason,” I told her. “It'll be ok.”  
“Are you sure?” She asked. “I know how he can be.”  
There she went again. Talking about how unstable Josh has always been. “You met him in a 'crazy house'!” She never seems to get that I was staying there, too. It wasn't that big of a deal. But she always, always, had to make a huge deal about it.   
“Look, Mom, it's fine. I'll talk later,” I told her, hanging up. 

~

“How long do you think he'll be in here?” Chris asked me as we walked through the halls to his room.   
“The doctor said months, most likely,” I told him. Chris adjusted his glasses and nodded.  
“Yeah, but like, how many months?” He laughed. He was constantly worried now, for everyone. He was different. But then again, so was everyone else. We all would never be the same. Mike seemed to resent everyone the most. He had so much hate towards Josh. I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen.   
“I don't know. They said at least 8,” I told him. He nodded.  
“Damn,” He whispered. I nodded as we reached Josh's room. 

I knocked on the open door, and walked in, Chris not too far behind. He was nervous to see his best friend after the events that happened. He must've been unsure if it was even a good idea to be near him anymore, but I'm sure he knew that Josh needed support now more than ever.   
“Hey, honey,” I said to Josh as I walked in. He was sitting up in his bed, eating some crappy hospital food.   
“They have better food in the cafeteria. I'm goin down there,” He said, pushing the food away from him.  
“No, you're not,” I smiled at him. “Do you want something else? I'll grab you something in a minute.”   
He nodded, staring at Chris. “You're here.”  
Chris stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he waved. “Hey there.”  
“Chris! You came back!” Josh said loudly, practically screaming it. Chris nodded.  
“Yeah, I did...” He said. “How've ya been?”   
“I need better food,” Josh said, looking over at the crappy sandwich that sat on the plate.   
“I'll get you something, ok? You and Chris visit for a while,” I told him, turning to Chris. “You ok with that?”   
Chris hesitated, but said, “Yeah, sure.”   
As I walked out of the room, I could hear Josh saying, “I'm gonna get married! You should come to the ceremony!”   
“Bruh, I'm gonna be part of it. I call best man,” Chris said happily.   
“That's such a good idea! You're such a cool guy!” Josh exclaimed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dr. Pepper sucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short one again, sorry! I haven't had much time to write today, so it's what you get for now, but I promise there will be more! Thanks!

Taking the dime from the lady at the counter, I stuffed it in my pocket and grabbed the tray of food.   
“Thank you,” I said to her before walking towards the elevator. I waited outside beside an elderly man. We talked for a few moments before the elevator doors opened.  
“My wife has been in the hospital for six months now. I've visited everyday,” He told me. Hearing about his dedication to his wife was beautiful. He told me about bringing her flowers on their wedding anniversary, watching movies with her on the TV provided in the room, and how the nurses would bring in milkshakes for them.  
“My boyfriend, well, fiance,” I said, “he's been in for about two months now. We had a very traumatic event happen to us and a few of our friends...”  
The old man stopped for a moment. “Is your name Ivy?” He asked. I was a bit in shock. How did he know my name?  
“Yes,” I replied, smiling. “How did you…?”  
“I've heard some nurses talking about you and, what's his name? Jake?” He asked.  
“Josh,” I laughed. He nodded.   
“They were talking about how strong you two, and your friends, are. I'm sorry to hear about all that's happened,” He said solemnly.   
“It's ok. We're healing. Slowly,” I told him as the elevator doors finally opened.   
There was an old woman in a wheelchair, being pushed by a nurse. The elderly man walked over to the woman and kissed her hand. He turned back to me, only for a moment.  
“Thank you for talking with me,” He said. “I hope you have the best of luck.”  
“Thank you! You too!” I smiled, getting into the elevator and pushing the button to the third floor. 

As I walked up the hall, I could hear Josh and Chris laughing, just as they used to before all this happened. I hadn't heard Josh laugh like that in a long time. I almost didn't want to go back in, just to listen to them enjoying themselves. Eventually, I decided to go back in.   
“Ivy!” Josh said happily. “What did you get?!”   
“Well, I got you grilled cheese instead of whatever the hell that other sandwich was. And some Dr. Pepper. Yuck,” I said to him, setting the tray down on the sliding table the moved over the bed.   
“Yay!” He laughed, opening the drink and taking a swig.   
“I don't see how you can like that stuff. I'm a Mtn. Dew kinda guy,” Chris grinned.   
“Ew,” Josh replied quietly, taking a bite of his sandwich. “Mtn. Dew sucks.”  
“Shame!” Chris laughed. 

~

“Be careful!” I yelled at Josh as he drove on the snowy roads.   
“I got it, I got it! We're safe,” He laughed. I sunk into my seat.   
“If we die, it's your fault!” I giggled. He nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the road.   
“Mhm,” He replied. “Whatever you say dear.”  
“That's right,” I smirked. As the car became silent once again, I reached for the radio and turned the volume up. Singing along with the words, Josh smiled and half-danced with me. 

The snow really started to come down, and I was starting to get worried.   
“Do you think it was a smart idea? Driving up to the gates?” I asked him. He nodded.   
“Sure,” He said. I shrugged and turned back to face out the windshield. It was at that moment that a deer jumped out in front of us. “Shit!” Josh yelled, swerving to miss it. 

Silence was the only thing I heard for a few minutes. What had just happened? I remembered a deer, and Josh trying not to hit it. But I couldn't remember anything. And even though my eyes were open, it was dark.   
“Ivy,” I heard a familiar voice say.   
“Josh?” I asked.   
“Yeah, you ok?” He asked. I finally was able to sit up and look around.   
“W-what happened?” I asked. He pointed to the tree we had hit.   
“Bumped a tree. I checked it out. Virtually no damage,” He smiled.   
“Oh...” I said quietly.   
“You want me to turn around? I can call this who thing off if you want?” He asked in a concerned voice. I shook my head slowly.   
“No, no. We have to have fun!” I smiled. He kissed me carefully, fixing my hair, before starting the car up again, and safely getting us the rest of the way


End file.
